Isaac Price has admitted that he realised that he was not going to get opportunities at Everton once he was left out of a cup game last year.
A product of the Everton academy, the midfielder left the club last summer and moved to Belgium with Standard Liege.
Price made just three appearances for Everton but has been playing regularly at Standard Liege in the ongoing campaign.
The 20-year-old was left frustrated by the lack of opportunities at Everton and eventually decided to move on.
He pointed out that he impressed during a winter tour of Australia and thought that he was going to get his chances after that.
However, then-Everton boss Frank Lampard left him out of an FA Cup clash and Price admitted that his mind was made up after that incident.
He conceded that he would have been convinced to stay on at Everton had he got more opportunities.
Price told The Athletic: “I went to Australia in the winter break, played both games and came back expecting to get more opportunities.
“I thought the cup game against Manchester United would be my chance to impress and, if they had given me more chances in those games, I’d have probably been convinced to stay.
“Once I was left out, I didn’t see where the opportunities would come from.
“It was very tough and, if it was my choice, I’d never have left Everton.”
Price was at Everton for more than a decade in their youth set-up before moving on from the club.
